Steelers Get Surprising Amount Of Love From Buffalo Bills' Josh Allen

The Pittsburgh Steelers made a remarkable turnaround during the 2023 season and went from not being sure they would finish above .500, to making the playoffs. Unfortunately, their postseason dreams were cut short when they lost to the Buffalo Bills 31-17 in the Wild Card Round. Recently, Bills quarterback, Josh Allen spoke about his love and respect for the Steelers. 

Allen was on Radio Row in Las Vegas recently for all of the festivities leading up to the Super Bowl. He took a few minutes to sit down with former Steelers cornerback, Bryant McFadden, who is now an analyst for CBS Sports.  

The Bills drafted Allen seventh overall in the 2018 NFL Draft. Much like Steelers quarterback, Kenny Pickett, Allen was supposed to sit and grow as a backup to their former starting quarterback. The starting quarterback was benched and Allen was thrust into the spotlight. It is easy for Allen to be glib about how much respect he has for Pittsburgh (he is 3-1 against the black and gold in regular season games). He tells McFadden he's always been a Steelers fan, which makes McFadden joke with him.  

"I can't tell 'cause every time you play against us, you put forth an unbelievable effort, so you have a unique way of showing gratitude," joked McFadden.

It isn't just the Steelers that Allen excels against. He is 63-30 as a starter with a quarterback rating of 92.4. He has completed 1,989 passes for 22,703 yards with 167 touchdowns and 78 interceptions.  

"I think the best should get the best and you know I've been fortunate enough to play against the Pittsburgh Steelers the last four years now. They've gotten me a couple of times though, but I have so much respect for Coach [Mike] Tomlin, what he's been able to do there, and how they've been able to sustain success since he's been there. It's been fantastic to watch and a lot of respect for the Pittsburgh Steelers organization," praised Allen.

Allen is more of a dual-threat type of quarterback. He is not only dangerous in the air, he is a problem on the ground for defenses. On top of all of his passing stats, he has also rushed 657 times for another 3,611 yards and an additional 53 touchdowns. 

Despite all of Allen's success in Buffalo, the Super Bowl wins have alluded the franchise in its entirety. They have been four times and lost them all throughout the team's history, the last one in 1994. Since Allen joined the team, they have been perennial favorites, but never make it to the big dance. In 2019, which was Allen's first full season, they lost the Wild Card game, in 2020 they lost the Conference Championship, and in the last three years, 2021-2023, they have lost the Divisional Round.  

The Pittsburgh Steelers Have To Solve Their Quarterback Issue

The Steelers and the Bills have a lot in common - both teams traditionally have a blue-collar kind of fan base, both teams have strong ownership that has created stable organizations, and both teams have excellent head coaches. What the Steelers are missing most is that franchise quarterback that the Bills have. 

After Ben Roethlisberger retired at the end of the 2021 season, Steelers fans anticipated some kind of drop in productivity, but 18 seasons is a long time and many forgot how hard the change is. Since Pickett has struggled to find his way in the league, it has made matters worse. The fan base is growing restless, impatient, and wanting more. It is not enough to have winning seasons, it is not enough to make it to the playoffs. 

This has led to fans calling for Head Coach Mike Tomlin to be fired. But the Rooney family has trust in Tomlin. He is well respected by his colleagues, as well as his players. It is not uncommon to hear players from other teams say the coach they most want to play for is Tomlin. 

The Steelers will face a big decision before the start of the 2024 season. Will they have another go with Pickett under center, giving him that full three years of development, or will they start someone else? While there are no guarantees, regardless of the decision they make, it does feel like the clock is ticking. Pittsburgh seems to have all the other components, a smothering (albeit expensive) defensive, talented wide receivers, and a strong running back duo. All they need is the quarterback to pull it all together. 

Are you surprised to hear Allen profess so much respect for the Steelers? Click to comment below. 

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